Chapter 17: Past Events

After returning home, Li Luo brought Yaya back and also brought some meat over to Xu Mei as a token of gratitude.

"Luoluo, there's no need to be so polite!" Xu Mei waved her hand.

"You've already given the child so many candies; we can't accept your meat too!"

"Sister Xu, I bought a lot of meat, and since Brother Ling, Da Mao, Xiao Mao, and the others aren't home, Yaya and I won't be able to finish it all."

"The weather is getting hot, and these things don't keep well. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to give Hutou an extra meal."

Hutou didn't look very big, but his small arms and legs were quite sturdy. Hearing Li Luo call his name, he grabbed Yaya's small hand and came running over.

"Sister~ Hutou took good care of Sister Yaya~" Hutou grinned from ear to ear, a candy still tucked in his mouth.

"Sister, something yummy?" Hutou pointed at the plate in his mother's hands.

He could already smell the familiar aroma of meat. He had never smelled this scent at home before; it was so fragrant! He couldn't help but salivate.

"Mom, Hutou wants to eat the yummy stuff!" Hutou clapped his hands happily.

Faced with this, Xu Mei couldn't decide whether to return the plate or not, so she simply accepted it graciously.

"Luoluo, then Sister will thank you. If you ever need help in the future, just let me know."

"Alright, Sister Xu, then I won't be polite. I'll take Yaya back now. Thank you for looking after her for so long."

"Don't say such things. The weather is so hot, and you have to cook, look after the child, and even deliver food to Brother Ling. It's quite hard on you."

"But what exactly happened with Auntie Wang? She was still being paid by Brother Ling, yet she just dropped everything and quit?"

"Luoluo, there's something Sister wants to say, but I don't know if it's appropriate?" Thinking about this matter made Xu Mei feel a bit embarrassed.

However, since they were all neighbors, she didn't dare speak recklessly; she didn't want to cause trouble for herself if people thought she was gossiping too much.

"Sister, by saying that, you're acting like a stranger," Li Luo smiled.

"In that case, Sister will speak from the heart. Did you know that Brother Ling had a wife before?" Xu Mei lowered her voice and whispered.

Li Luo nodded. She had already gathered the gist of the situation from Lin Ge's descriptions, but she didn't know the specifics of why Ling Zhuoqun's first marriage had ended.

Why did they divorce after only half a month?

"You wouldn't believe it. That woman treated Da Mao, Xiao Mao, and Yaya very well before, but once she heard that Ling Zhuoqun had undergone a vasectomy, she tried to force him to undergo surgery."

"Ling Zhuoqun refused, saying that besides those three children, he would never have another child in this lifetime."

"Originally, the woman stopped making a scene, but for some reason, she heard a rumor that all of Ling Zhuoqun's assets after his death would go to Da Mao and the others, and she wouldn't get a single cent."

"How could she accept that! For some reason, she lost her mind and actually poisoned the food. Xiao Mao ate quite a bit of the poisoned food and vomited blood immediately."

"The scene was so terrifying that Yaya lost her voice on the spot."

"Fortunately, Da Mao was there and rushed to the convenience store to call for emergency services. They got Xiao Mao to the hospital to have his stomach pumped, which is how he managed to survive."

Recalling the scene, it could only be described as absolute chaos. Even now, Xu Mei felt a lingering fear at the memory of Xiao Mao vomiting blood.

"I just don't know how a woman could be so cruel. To be able to resort to poisoning such a small child!"

"I suppose children should still be one's own flesh and blood..." As soon as the words left her mouth, Xu Mei quickly covered her mouth, looking at Li Luo nervously.

Li Luo gave an awkward smile. "Sister Xu, the fact that you are opening up to me proves that you trust me. You've seen that I love children. Besides, I don't need to carry them for ten months to have such a beautiful treasure; I'm more than happy."

Li Luo's words left Xu Mei somewhat skeptical, but seeing how composed and honest Li Luo appeared, without a hint of guilt, Xu Mei felt her judgment hadn't failed her. This Li Luo was a good girl.

After all, the previous wife had looked at the neighbors as if they were beggars, as if every household owed her hundreds of yuan.

Li Luo was different. She gave Hutou candies and biscuits, and she had washed Yaya clean and changed her into fresh clothes. One look was enough to see she was a hardworking and kind girl.

The more Xu Mei thought about it, the wider her smile became.

"I shouldn't talk any longer, Sister Xu. I should take Yaya to eat." Li Luo had stayed too long and had forgotten that Xu Mei was still eating.

"Why don't you stay and eat with us?" Xu Mei invited warmly.

"No need, Sister Xu. We have food at home. The weather is too hot, and it won't stay fresh if it's left out," Qiao Qian tactfully declined the kindness.

Xu Mei nodded and let it be.

After the meal, Li Luo continued the work she hadn't finished in the morning with Yaya. It wasn't until around three in the afternoon that she finally managed to clear that small patch of land. The soil was soft and loose, and she sowed some cabbage and tomato seeds.

These were things she had specifically bought from the market today.

After watering it with a rubber hose, Li Luo clapped her hands twice, feeling that her hard work today had not been in vain.

As soon as Li Luo's applause ended, Yaya let out a "giggle," a milky white trail of saliva running from her mouth because of the candy she was holding.

Li Luo washed her hands and used a handkerchief to clean Yaya's mouth.

"Yaya, shall stepmother teach you how to talk?" Li Luo crouched down and looked seriously into Yaya's eyes.

Yaya remained beaming and gave a slight nod.

"So you agree?" A flash of joy crossed Li Luo's face. It seemed she was a natural with children!

"Ba~ ba~" Li Luo enunciated the syllables slowly, one by one.

Yaya watched Li Luo's lips intently, nodding as she memorized the sounds, though she still didn't make a sound.

Li Luo did not lose heart. After all, the beginning is always the hardest, and considering the trauma Yaya had suffered, she couldn't expect an immediate transformation.

Li Luo spoke again, patiently: "Ba~ ba~"

Suddenly, Yaya's eyes went wide, and she pointed behind Li Luo, letting out an "Ah!"

Thinking Yaya was interacting with her and understood what she was saying, Li Luo said it once more: "Ba~ ba~"

Yaya giggled again and spread her arms wide.

Li Luo also spread her arms, waiting for Yaya to throw herself into her embrace, but her expectation fell short.

Yaya moved past Li Luo toward the area behind her, still making "ah, ah" sounds.

Realizing something was wrong, Li Luo turned around and saw a tall figure standing at the doorway. He was holding groceries and watching their interaction with a smile.

Li Luo's face instantly turned red. "You! Why didn't you say anything when you came back? You walked in without making a sound and were eavesdropping on me!"

The word "wronged" could almost be carved onto Ling Zhuoqun's face. How was he supposed to know that the moment he stepped inside, he would hear Li Luo calling "Papa"? Anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was on the phone with her foster parents.

Who knew she was actually teaching Yaya how to speak.